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12 Questions with Jamie McMurray

Our series of weekly NASCAR driver interviews continues with Jamie McMurray, a Missouri native who is 13th in the points standings heading into this weekend's race at Kansas Speedway. We spoke with him in Texas.

Q: From what you can tell, whose driving style is the most similar to yours?

A: I think that's a challenge to view and see that on the track. To me, when you talk about driving styles, it's more about how you push the throttle down, how much brake you use. When I was at Roush, I wasn't anything like Carl (Edwards) but much closer to (Matt) Kenseth — still not the same, though. Carl had a much different driving style than I remember Matt and I having.

Q: Do you collect any of your own memorabilia, such as helmets, firesuits or diecast cars?

A: I don't really collect any diecasts. I do keep some helmets, some suits. I've got a massive collection of that stuff and I feel like one day, I'm going to be like, "What am I going to do with all of this?"

I have the helmet I won Charlotte with in 2002 (while subbing for the injured Sterling Marlin). It's literally just a white helmet with Coors Light stickers on it — ugly. But it's cool because it happened really quick.

I kept the suit and the helmet from the (2010) Daytona 500 because I knew that would be special for me someday. But I'm not real big into collecting stuff.

Q: What percent of success in NASCAR is due to the car, what percent is the driver and what percent is luck?

A: I would say 60% car, 30% driver, 10% luck. When you see teams hit on things, the whole team runs well. I think it's more car.

Q: What person outside of your family has done the most for your racing career?

A: Mike Mittler would be the first name that comes to mind. Mike owned a Truck Series team, and when I was racing Late Models, he's kind of a guy that gave me a break in the Truck Series, and that's really what got me to Nationwide and Cup.

That's a really tough question to answer though, because I had two or three people who helped me along the way and all of those are important.

Q: You come into contact with so many people during a race weekend — your team, sponsors, media fans — so how do you decide how to divide up your time?

A: I don't. I just go with the flow and whatever happens, happens. Normally all the media stuff is all scheduled out before you ever get to the track. I really like scheduling things and being on a schedule, so I read my schedule before I get to the track. Like last night, before I went to bed, I read my schedule so I know what I'd have today. It's all kind of laid out for me.

Q: Fans often seem to want to be remembered by drivers. What's the best way for a fan to be remembered by you?

A: I would say I remember the genuine fans. The fans who walk up to you with all Dale Jr. gear on and say, "I've been a fan of yours for 20 years," you know it's probably not very sincere. But the people who walk up to you who have your gear on or have unique things for you to sign — stuff you know it took some work for them to get — I pretty much remember all those people.

Normally, each venue, you remember the two or three most loyal fans because they always come to your appearances. So I remember a lot of those people.

Q: The last guy you wrecked — did you do it on purpose?

A: Probably, but I don't know the last guy I wrecked. I can't even think back to when I wrecked somebody. But probably it was on purpose if I wrecked them.

Q: Who is somebody you used to clash with, but now you get along well?

A: Matt Kenseth. Matt was probably my biggest (rival) in 2004. We wrecked each other two or three times, both got fined, generally did not like each other. Actually, I knew Matt. We raced each other in Late Models a few times before we made it.

Matt had been around for awhile and I was in my second year of Cup. I think you have guys who have been around awhile and you get a new guy coming in, and if they don't cut you the breaks, you get angry at them. Matt did not like me and wrecked me a couple times, and I wrecked him back.

When we first became teammates at Roush, I don't think we liked each other then, either. But my girlfriend and his wife became friends and then we were closer teammates, and now Matt is probably my best friend.

It's really strange looking back at that. I never didn't like him as a person, I just didn't like him because he wrecked me. But now we have a lot in common and get along pretty well.

We don't really talk about it. If it came up, we'd laugh about wrecking each other, I guess. The thing is, we're all the same — everyone only sees their side of the situation. When I listen to Matt tell the story, I hear him say, "You did this" or "You did that." I'm like, "Man, he's still placing blame on me."

Q: What's the best racing-related movie?

A: Days of Thunder. For sure. Only because I was 12 when it came out and I sat and watched it a ton of times. If it still came on, I'd stop and watch a segment of it. You know the barn in Days of Thunder? That's in Mooresville and I live like five minutes from it. My wife doesn't think it's cool because she's from there, but when I still see it, I'm like, "That is so cool that that's the barn that was in that movie."

I was thinking you'd say Talladega Nights, since you actually had a cameo in that movie.

So the thing with Talladega Nights is, when we were approached with the chance to be in it, it was with Will Ferrell and you knew it was going to be pretty funny and everyone was saying this was going to be the racing version of Wedding Crashers. Like this was going to be an iconic comedy — and I didn't think it was.

A lot of race fans will come up to me and say lines from it, and I don't even know what they're talking about, because I only watched parts of it like once — and I didn't find it that funny.

The part that makes Days of Thunder better for me is you weren't in the sport when you came out, so you believed parts of it. Talladega Nights wasn't trying to be believable, but I just don't know.

Q: What's your song of the moment right now?

A: I really like country music, and if I get in the car, country music is what I listen to. But my wife and I watched the Grammys, and the band fun., I really like that guy's voice. He (Nate Ruess) has got a song out with Pink now, and everything with that guy in it I like right now.

Q: Define yourself without NASCAR.

A: I guess "a dad." That's become the most important thing to me, being with your family and your kids. I'm really fortunate that Christy puts all of that in perspective. I feel like she's going to do a really good job of raising our kids and not necessarily making them live in a motorhome, but spend more time at home. So for me, I'm just a dad and a family guy.

Q: I've been asking each driver to give me a question for the next interview. Last week, Kyle Busch wanted to know what factor was most responsible for you making it to this level.

A: First off, I had a passion for racing. I wrestled, I played soccer and baseball and I enjoyed all those sports, but racing was something I was passionate about. I had a really supportive family, and I think I just had a really strong work ethic. I was very dedicated, and I just did whatever it took.

In hindsight, looking back, I think I gave up things that other people got to do as kids, but I didn't look at it as sacrificing. I just wanted to race.

And do you have a question for the next interview, which is with Johanna Long?

I'd be interested to see what she thinks of Danica Patrick.

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JAMIE MCMURRAY'S THREE FAVORITE APPS

-- RaceMonitor. "That's my favorite."

-- "RaceMonitor is the only app I even have. Do I have any other apps? (Checks phone) No, I don't think so, actually."